The Rise of Redwing
by KappaOboe
Summary: As the daughter of Slade Wilson, Mellie has never lead a peaceful life. So when she is rescued by Jason Todd and taken to Gotham City it's only natural she comes face to face with old allies and new enemies. Pre-reboot AU in which Damian Wayne is still alive and Bruce never went missing.
1. Chapter 1: Gotham City

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective creators. I don't own DC. If I did, Damian would still be alive. **

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><p>It was pretty much common knowledge that smoking gave you lung cancer. The smell also gave Melantha Wilson a headache and only after she'd complained for what felt like a month straight, Jason had finally kicked the habit. Until now, that was. For all his faults Jay worked hard for her. He was the closest thing she had to a friend nowadays and she knew he would never unintentionally break his word to her. Which was exactly how she knew Jason was really more upset about returning to Gotham than he let on.<p>

She frowned at the smoke curling up from the cigarette between his lips but said nothing. She'd been with him long enough to know he only smoked when he was _really_ anxious about something.

"So this is home, eh?" she asked, setting one foot on the edge of the rooftop they were currently perched. The city smelled like most cities did; filthy and overcrowded with humans.

Jason merely grunted.

"It's pretty," she said. It wasn't. She'd never liked skyscrapers, and Gotham was full of them. Behind it all, looming over the city like a watchful guardian – or a tyrant – was the famous Wayne Tower.

Jason had already explained to her Bruce's cover story as a playboy billionaire, and even though she knew they were false the gaudy appearance of his headquarters made her want to dislike him.

"How long's it been since you've been here?" she asked.

"Enough with the questions, Mellie," Jay grunted. "Let's just get this shit over with."

The girl scowled up at him, and faster than the human eye could follow, she reached up and snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and hurled it off the side of the building.

Jason glowered. "Bitch."

"Ass," Mellie fired back with just as much heat. At thirteen years old she didn't even top five feet, but her hazel eyes were steely and deep with intelligence that didn't match her age.

Jason led them off the top of the building he'd chosen to rest and get his bearings. It was kind of pointless, really. He knew the streets of Gotham almost better than Bruce, having lived on them, homeless, for years.

Jason mounted his bike that he'd left parked on the street corner. Mellie climbed on behind him and wrapped both arms around his torso, burying her face into the back of his jacket and inhaling the familiar scent of leather. As they rode deeper into Gotham Mellie noticed a considerable change.

The streets became cleaner, the people better dressed, and buildings bigger and gaudier. If they were going to see the city's richest man they were certainly on the right path. The traffic gradually lessened and when Jason took a sharp turn left, it disappeared altogether. Wayne Manor's private drive must've been at least two miles long. When Jason pulled up in front of the gates of the manor Mellie couldn't help but stare. She was no stranger to opulence by any means but there was something… beautiful about Wayne Manor. The style was elegant yet practical and the building looked surprisingly strong.

Mellie leapt off the bike with more grace than the average cat and stared fearfully up at the manor, feeling oddly hollow. For three years she and Jason had travelled the world, training, doing whatever they could for money. They'd never stayed in one place for more than a week and the thought of settling down was… odd. Even as a child her she had moved from place to place.

She caught Jason's arm as he passed and gave it a fearful tug. "Will he… will they…?"

"No, Bruce is too smart to judge a person by their parentage. And besides," he gave her a sad smile. "He loves me even if I'm just a fuck-up. You're smart, Mel. He'll like you."

Mellie gnawed on her lip and took a deep breath. She was many things but a coward was not one of them. She nodded and released his sleeve, following him up the pathway to the large front doors of the manor. The doorbell was loud and low, oddly fitting considering whose house it was.

A few moments later the door swung open to reveal an elderly man with a trim mustache. He wore a neat suit and when he saw Jason his politely neutral expression morphed into one of bewilderment, then joy.

"Master Jason," the man said with a pleasant British accent. "Master Bruce will be pleased to know you have finally returned home."

_Home_. Mellie had never thought of Jason having a home before. The man's dark eyes fell to the small girl half-hidden behind Jason, and his mustache twitched up into a friendly smile.

"And who's this?" he asked.

"Alfred, meet Mellie. Mellie, meet Alfred; Bruce's beloved butler, and the best damn baker you will ever meet."

Mellie smiled up at the old man. She liked him already. Alfred invited them into the manor. Mellie would have started to look around, if a middle-aged man with black hair and blue eyes hadn't walked into the entryway.

"Alfred, who-" The man's eyes widened. He took a step toward them, then another. "Jason." _This_ was Batman? The famed Dark Knight? His voice was soft, tight with emotion. Bruce Wayne reached out and quicker than Mellie could follow, snatched Jason into what looked like a crushing bear-hug.

Jason went tense but he didn't pull away. Jason was almost as tall as Bruce, but not quite. He was leaner, too, but that wasn't hard to accomplish, considering the Dark Knight was built like a bull.

They finally broke apart and those intelligent piercing blue eyes of his found her. For a moment she was frozen, staring into the face of the man she had secretly idolized since childhood. Even Jason's grim retellings of his time as Robin hadn't changed her opinion. Without thinking Mellie bowed Japanese-style, lower than etiquette required.

"Master," she said in an awed voice. "It's an honor."

To the left, Jason laughed. "_That's_ really all it takes to shut you up?"

Mellie ignored him and almost fell over when Bruce laid a large hand upon her shoulder. _Batman was touching her_. He was _touching_ her, and not in the way that meant he was about to rip her head off.

"Bruce, this is Mellie," Jason said.

"Slade's daughter," Bruce said calmly and Mellie blinked. "It's the eyes," he explained, seeing the expression on her face. "You have his eyes. Does Rose know?"

The question was directed at her but Jason was the one who answered. "Yes, and she's pissed. Tried to kill Mellie a few times now but Mel can hold her own."

Bruce's eyebrows rose a fraction of a millimeter. "You've been trained?"

"Yes," Mellie said, "with the League of-" She gasped, then, and everyone turned to see what had caught her attention. A boy strode into the room, about her age. His skin was tanned, hinting at middle-eastern origins, and he had black hair and blue eyes, like his father. In one hand he held a half-eaten apple and in the other there was a book.

He looked up and met her eyes, which widened in recognition. She knew him. Before Mellie knew what she was doing she shrugged out of Bruce's grip and walked calmly up to the dark-haired boy. He was taller than she remembered and he'd put on more muscle. The soft curves of childhood had mostly melted into angular, lean planes of muscle.

"They told me you died," was the first thing she said.

His eyes narrowed. "As you can see that is not the case."

"You two know each other?" Jason asked, his shock evident in his voice.

"We grew up together," Damian Wayne said shortly, without taking his eyes off of her.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation in a more comfortable setting?" Alfred suggested. Twenty minutes later Jason, Damian, Bruce, and Mellie were settled around a small mahogany table in what appeared to be the manor's main kitchen.

There was a plate of cookies in front of her along with a mug of jasmine tea but at the moment food was the last thing on her mind. Her eyes never left Damian, afraid he might disappear the moment she looked away.

"Explain," Bruce said, and the single word was enough to spur Mellie into motion.

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><p>Slade Wilson was not known for his compassion or his kindness. In fact most people considered him to be a ruthless bastard lacking both heart and soul. Yet somehow, Celia Thomas saw differently. You'd have to a special kind of woman to act as a liaison between the public and a criminal organization anyways, and even Slade's allies tended to keep their distance. Not Celia. Mellie knew now that Slade had never really loved her mother, had only used her to slake his lusts. But as a child she had courted the idea of having living with her parents in the city, of putting a stop to all the damn training.<p>

Slade was recruited by the League of Assassins and indoctrinated into the group, bringing his daughter and his mistress along with him. The headquarters was big and the population numerous; but out of the thousands of souls living there, there was only one other child to be found: Damian Wayne. As Mellie grew older Ra's Al Ghul saw the potential brought about by Slade's offspring and put her under a strict training regimen. It was around this time that Celia Thomas disappeared. No one would tell Mellie where she had gone so eventually she stopped asking questions, and she never saw her mother again. As the children grew older they became frequent sparring partners. And there became a pattern. Seven times out of ten, without fail, Mellie would lose. It was to be expected. Damian was, after all, the grandson of the Demon Head, but Slade seethed at his daughter's losses. When Mellie was seven she underwent the same physical augmentations, just like her father and half-sister Rose before her.

And it worked, to a certain degree. The children were almost equals now and Slade was content. Until Batman discovered he had a son and quickly whisked the boy out of his mother's grasp. Fearful of the same thing happening to his precious Mellie, Slade took her to a League hideaway in China. The father-daughter duo came across Jason Todd, who Slade commissioned to train Mellie. Unbeknownst to him, however, Jason had begun mending ties with his family. In the dead of the night Jason and Mellie escaped the hideaway and travelled to Japan to lay low. They had been together for three years now.

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><p>When she was done speaking Bruce and Alfred were looking at her differently. There was pity in their eyes. Mellie glanced at Damian. His eyes were faraway, no doubt reminiscing about their shared childhood.<p>

"Well," Bruce finally said, "I'm sure you two must be tired from your trip. Alfred will prepare a room for you, Mellie. Jason…"

"I haven't been so long that I've forgotten where my room is." Jason scowled.

Mellie followed Alfred through the hallways of the manor and into a large bedroom complete with a conjoined game room and its own bathroom.

"Welcome to your new home," the butler said.

Home. There it was again, that foreign and forbidden word. Mellie thanked Alfred and stripped out of her dirty clothes, climbing into the large king-sized bed. She'd never slept on anything so soft. Without another thought she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Favorites and reviews are appreciated. Damian might be a little OOC later on but that's because I'd like to think that if he hadn't been killed his father and Dick would've curbed some of his attitude. But not all of it 'cuz that's what makes him so lovable ;).<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Settling Down

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective creators. I don't own DC. If I did, Damian would still be alive.**

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><p>The transmitter Mellie had placed on Jason beeped. She rolled over in bed and pulled the tiny monitor out from under her pillow and slipped a tiny com link into her right ear. The transmitter pinpointed Jason's location to be somewhere in downtown Gotham. At this time of night Mellie knew he'd be in his Red Hood persona.<p>

"… why you can't stay." It was Bruce's voice, but deeper and slightly rougher. It took Mellie a moment to realize that he was using his Batman voice.

"It's complicated," Jason said.

"It always is." Bruce let out a sigh. "I know we've had a… complicated history, but the manor is always open to you if you need a home."

"I don't need your charity," Jason snarled. "The only reason I'm here is for her."

There was a pause, in which Mellie's heart seemed to want to fill the void with its beating.

"I can't make her stay," Bruce finally said.

"Bullshit. You're the goddamned Batman. You can do anything."

"Jason, I-"

"Red Hood."

"… Red Hood." Something beeped, interrupting the Dark Knight midsentence. "Drug smugglers in the industrial district," he sighed. "We'll finish this conversation later."

Mellie heard him fire his grappling hook. For a long time there was only silence and judging from the lack of sound Jason hadn't moved.

"Fancy seeing you here, Baby Bird," said a new, masculine voice.

"It's a free roof," Jason grunted. He wasn't openly friendly, nor was he as cold as he had been towards Bruce. "What do you want, Dick?"

"No names in the field," the man reminded him. "I want to know why you've come back after all this time. And who that girl is."

Mellie expected Jason to tell his newcomer to fuck off but instead he let out a long, low sigh. "She's Slade's daughter."

There was a pause.

"Does Bruce know?" Dick finally asked.

"Doesn't he know everything?" Jason sighed. "Kid was just like Damian when you guys first… found him. It took me a while to train her out of old habits."

"You've never shied away from killing," Dick said gently.

"True, but it's different, seeing an little girl…" Jason trailed off and Mellie cringed, remembering the things she had done the moment she had been freed from her father's clutches. "She's a good kid. Make sure Bruce takes care of her after I leave, or I'll come back and kick your ass, understand?"

Mellie's entire body locked in place. Jason was _leaving_ her? After spending so much time with him the thought was incomprehensible.

"Why do you have to leave?" Dick asked. "Is it Bruce? I can talk to him."

"No, it isn't Bruce." Jason heaved another big sigh. "Ever since I rescued Mellie her father's been very adamant about getting his daughter back. I've managed to keep his minions away for a while but lately we've been having too many close calls. I think Bruce is better equipped to protect her and besides, I can't give her a normal life."

"Where will you go?"

"After Deathstroke." Jason's tone was iron and a chill ran through Mellie at the sound. She'd only heard him talk like that once, and only when he was talking to her father. "It's time the bastard left her alone. For good."

"Let me go with you."

"No," Jason said abruptly. "Bruce would never forgive me if I stole his precious Dickie Bird."

"He never-"

"And I don't trust anyone else," Jason said in a softer voice. "I know how Bruce can be as a guardian. I need you to be there for her if… if…"

"She'll hate me," said Dick.

"Maybe at first. Please, if you love me as much as you say you do, do this for me. Mellie's the only thing I care about in this cursed world. I only want what's best for her."

"I will," Dick said without pause.

"Thank you."

In the morning Jason was gone, but Mellie found the transmitter she had tagged him with on her bedside table. Mellie held the small piece of metal in her palm and for the first time in three years, she cried.

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><p>It must've been some kind of record, to go thirteen years without ever wearing a skirt. Father found them impractical and since it was physically impossible to move freely without flashing someone, Mellie had to agree.<p>

"Stop fidgeting," Damian grunted at her. "It makes you look timid."

Mellie stuck her tongue out at him but her heart wasn't in it. No one mentioned Jason but she could tell Bruce was fuming, Dick was sad, and that Tim had been using his hacker abilities to search the globe. But this was a group of people whose hearts had been hardened by loss so they moved on.

Mellie stayed and reluctantly agreed to attend Gotham Academy, despite the fact she could've earned several PhD's just based on what she already knew. It was a very prestigious institute, Dick had told her, full of geniuses and spoiled rich kids. Those were fine, Mellie could handle those. What she could _not_ handle, however, was the damned uniform.

Gotham Academy was one of those schools old and important enough to still have a crest as its symbol. Carefully made-up kids in pristine uniforms wandered the school grounds and the parking lot was packed with limos and luxury cars. The sight made Mellie sad. Jason loved cars.

It wasn't long before they attracted attention. After all, she was walking beside the famous Damian Wayne.

"Hey, there, Wayne," someone called out. "Who's the new girl?"

Damian's fingers closed around her elbow and the crowd started to mutter. "This is Mellie Wilson," Damian said loudly, loud enough to carry across the entire quad. "She is the relative of our butler and has come from London to attend Gotham Academy."

"She's related to your _servant_?" a girl asked, wrinkling her nose.

Mellie clenched her fists. Sensing her anger Damian tugged her roughly through the crowd. "Come, Mellie, the admissions office is this way."

The hallways of the school were constructed of marble and were so shiny Mellie could see her reflection. The school's secretary was a heavily done up woman whose smile never reached her eyes.

"Melantha Wilson?" she asked, and when Mellie nodded in confirmation the woman passed her a colored piece of paper. "Here's your schedule. We don't have advanced placement for junior high so you'll have to settle with honors instead. Is that ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mellie said in a flawless British accent. "Thank you."

The woman's smile warmed a tad. "Welcome to Gotham Academy."

Mellie stepped out of the office and paused to examine her schedule. Damian peered over her shoulder.

"We have first, third, fourth, and sixth period together," said Damian. It was hard to tell whether he was chagrined or pleased. "I shall save you a seat, if you wish."

Mellie started and turned to look at him. She raised her eyebrows.

Damian shrugged. "You are the only female in this school who does not wish to use me for their own ends."

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks, D. I'm honored."

"Shut up and follow me to first period. I want to get a good seat."

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><p>Mellie went on her first patrol later that evening. This momentous occasion was heralded by a brand new costume. There was an angular red mask that covered her eyes, eyebrows, and nose along with a silver gorget that was flexible yet strong. On top of a red Kevlar shirt there was a V-shaped black chest plate and a belt. She wore black Kevlar pants and knee-length boots. This entire ensemble was completed with a reinforced quarter-sleeve jacket that Mellie had personally filled with nasty little gadgets. Sheathed at her side was her signature weapon; a rope dart<p>

Mellie was hardly vain but she could say with confidence that she looked _awesome_. Granted, the costume could hardly make her taller but the dark color scheme gave her a foreboding and intimidating look. Mellie braided her dark locks around a spiked strap to teach a lesson to anyone that tried to grab her hair.

"Cool," Dick said approvingly from behind her. "Jason would approve, ecspecially the jacket. Very biker-ish."

"I was thinking something more along the lines of punk," Tim commented without turning away from the Bat computer.

"You look acceptable," Damian grunted, crossing his arms.

"Thanks, D, that's literally the nicest thing you've ever said to me." She turned and smiled to see him dressed in his Robin costume. Although he'd been the fifth person to hold the title he'd managed to add his own personal touch to the look. None of the other Robins had equipped themselves with a hood and a katana.

"Have you decided on a name?" Dick asked, securing his domino mask over his face.

Mellie had spent more time thinking about her superhero alias than she'd like to admit. "Redwing," she said.

Bruce strolled into the cave in full Batman regale. "Time to go," he said in a lower, gruffer voice. "Let's see what you're made of."

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><p><strong>Author's Note: This chapter's a little short and there's a lot of exposition. It'll get more interesting, I promise, just stay with me. I'm planning on introducing Colin in the next chapter. Do I hear New Young Justice?<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: New Friends, New Foes

**Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long. I've been busy with school, plus I'm pretty terrible at fight scenes. Likes and reviews are appreciated :).**

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><p>The Batmobile shook as an explosion rocked the city. The nighttime sky lit up like the dawn, casting an orange glow over the landscape. Then everything went dark and people started to scream.<p>

_"__Warehouse District,"_ Nightwing said over the com built into the car's dashboard. _"East side."_

"Observe and report. Do not approach unless absolutely necessary," ordered Batman. The engine roared as he sped up.

_"__Batman." _Nightwing's voice was thick with worry. _"There's been a breakout at Arkham Asylum."_

"Casualties?"

_"__Eleven guards and two civilians." _

This time it was Alfred who spoke over the com link. _"Sir, it appears that several of Arkham's deadliest criminals have escaped and are heading towards the city."_

"We noticed," Batman grunted. "Who made it out?"

_"__Scarecrow, Joker, and Clayface. The police have managed to detain the rest."_

In the passenger seat Damian cursed and looked at his father. "We'll have to split up."

"I know." Batman's knuckles tightened visibly around the steering wheel.

A moment later Red Robin's voice crackled over the link. _"Batman I need help. Clayface-"_ He was cut off by a monstrous roar. Batman's right hand left the wheel and he typed something into the car's dashboard. "Nightwing, Red Robin's in trouble. He's approximately one point three miles away from your position. Sending coordinates now."

_"__And you?"_ Nightwing asked. Redwing could hear the wind rushing through the tiny com link.

"We'll handle the rest. Keep him safe." Batman disconnected the feed and turned so that he was peering at her through the corner of his eye. "I know this is only your first mission but we're spread too thin. I want you to go with Robin and detain Scarecrow."

Redwing nodded. "What's his M.O.?"

"Fear toxins that induce violent hallucinations of the victims worst nightmares," Robin said stoically.

"Lovely."

"If we can detain him before he finds his gear it'll be a lot easier," said Robin. The Batmobile screeched to a halt and the roof slid open. Without being prompted Redwing and Robin fired their grappling hooks at the nearest building and flew out of the car.

They landed side-by-side on the building's roof. Robin crouched and pulled what looked like a black walkie talkie out of his belt and started to tune it.

"What are you doing?" Redwing asked impatiently.

"Checking the police feed, you vapid twat," Robin snapped. Redwing scowled at his back and pulled out a pair of binoculars. This part of the city was still relatively quiet. She could still see the smoke caused by the inmates' explosion on Arkham island off in the distance.

"Wayne Pharmacy," Robin said suddenly. "Scarecrow and his cronies have already broken in."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Robin shot off his grappling hook and Redwing followed him closely. As they neared the eastern part of the city they could hear screaming. The closer they got to the pharmacy, the louder the cries. The front doors of the building had been knocked off their hinges and there were either dead or unconscious bodies lying in the street.

"Check for survivors. I will attend to Scarecrow," Robin ordered her. She nodded and dropped to the pavement in front of the pharmacy. She gingerly reached out and felt for the pulse point at the nearest civilian's throat. Nothing. Redwing swallowed and moved on. The next three bodies were corpses. However the fourth, a young woman around Dick's age, was alive. When Redwing prodded her she stirred and let out a faint moan.

"Can you hear me, miss? You're going to be ok," Redwing said.

The woman craned her neck to look up at her savior. Her pupils dilated in fear and she started to scream. It wasn't a scream brought about by pain, but of pure, undulated terror. The woman screamed and screamed and screamed, making Redwing's ears ring.

"Miss, calm down, I won't hurt you!" Redwing shouted over the woman's cries. The woman turned and tried to drag herself away. It was then that Redwing noticed she'd taken a bullet in the upper thigh. The sidewalk smeared with crimson as the woman struggled away from her.

Redwing had been so caught up in the bodies she hadn't noticed the faint odor the permeated the air. She paused and looked away from the terrified civilian. Suddenly a figure rounded the corner from the back of the pharmacy and Redwing's mouth fell open in horror.

Deathstroke.

"Fa-" Redwing choked as a fist buried itself into her abdomen. She collapsed on all fours and vomited just as he kicked her in the side. She rolled over and tried to shield herself as he started raining blows onto her prone form.

"Stupid little girl," Slade hissed. "Do you really think you belong here? Pretending to be a _hero_?" Redwing felt a rib crack and she cried out. "Don't fool yourself, child. You're a murderer. A killer. Exactly what I created you to be. You can't hide from your past."

"No," Redwing sobbed, peering through tear-blurred vision at the corpses in front of her. Only instead of faceless civilians they had changed into the bodies of Jason, Damian, and Bruce.

She howled with anguish and spat blood, curling into herself as her father rained more blows. Suddenly Slade let out a _whump_ and the barrage came to a halt. Through the slits of her eyelids she caught sight of something large and brown.

When she came to she was staring into a very ugly face beneath a mop of bright red hair. Redwing tried to raise an arm to fend off this new foe but the slight motion jolted her side and she let out a pained whimper.

"Shh, it's alright," the figure said in a deep voice. "I won't hurt you. My name is Abuse. I'm an ally of Batman's."

"Jason…" Redwing sobbed, her ribs burning with agony. "Damian…"

"I'm right here." Something red and black knelt beside her. Instinctively she pulled away, jolting her wounded ribs in the process. Redwing choked on a scream and hated herself for it. This was how she would die. A failure. She hadn't even completed a single mission.

Something rolled up her right sleeve and there was a prick of pain. Then everything suddenly became sharper and the bodies returned to normal. No Jason, Bruce or Damian. It wasn't a pretty sight but still… Standing above her was Robin and Abuse, holding a needle filled with a purple liquid.

"You're alive," she whispered. Her mouth tasted like blood.

"And you're a fool," Robin said. "You should have checked for traps before-"

"Robin, she's hurt," Abuse interrupted. "Can't you wait?"

"She nearly got herself killed, Abuse," Robin said coldly. "And she made a rookie mistake."

"There was a woman-" Redwing tried to sit up and gasped as her body flared in agony. Everything went dark.

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><p>She awoke to a dull throb so painful she willed the darkness to return. It didn't. She tried to mutter one of Jason's choosier swear words but discovered her mouth felt like someone had stuffed it full of cotton. Instead she let out a croak.<p>

Something touched her lips and she drank without thinking, letting out a sigh of ecstasy as the cold, fresh water wetted her parched throat. She opened her eyes and squinted into a bright light. Alfred's face swam into view.

"Ah, Miss Mellie, how do you feel?"

"Like shit," Mellie croaked, too sore to be polite. "What happened?"

"Master Damian brought you to the cave as soon as he was able but he has returned to patrol. You've taken quite a beating, I'm afraid, but all of the superficial wounds have already healed. It's very interesting." Alfred cocked his head. "You received the same augmentations as your father, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"You would have a slightly advanced healing factor then. You've received a minor concussion – which has already started to heal – three fractured ribs, a split lip, and bruises over your entire body."

Mellie groaned. "I'm the worst superhero to ever exist."

"I may just be a simple minded old man, but I seem to recall all of Master Bruce's new sidekicks having their first mission go awry." Alfred smiled down at her.

Mellie wanted to hug him. She felt better, if only a little. She tilted her head and saw that she was lying on a cot somewhere within the Cave. Now that the world wasn't spinning she noticed a small boy with red hair sitting beside her makeshift bed, and something clicked.

"Abuse?" Mellie asked.

The boy smiled. "It's Colin."

"Thank you for saving me," Mellie said sincerely. She maneuvered herself into a sitting position, grimacing against the pain. She put one hand to her ribs and looked at him. "How did you know where to find Scarecrow?"

"The… orphanage where I live is only a couple streets away. I heard the screams and decided to investigate. I'm glad I did." He cocked his head. "Damian told me about you."

"He did?" That surprised Mellie. Not even Bruce had been aware of her existence before she had miraculously shown up at the manor. The notion that Damian might have someone he cherished more than his father was a strange one. She wasn't sure if she liked it.

"Is it true you were raised by the League of Assassins?" Colin's hazel eyes grew large with something akin both awe and fear. Something in Mellie's heart warmed towards the boy.

"Yes," she said softly. "My father worked for them and thought that I'd make a good assassin."

"Oh." Colin didn't seem to mind the fact she was raised a killer.

Before Mellie or Colin could say anything more Alfred was shooing the other boy away.

"You need rest, Miss Mellie," the butler chided her. "There will be time to socialize later."

Colin bid her goodbye but his words fell to deaf ears. She had already fallen asleep.

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><p>The next time Mellie woke she was wearing her own pajamas and was lying in her bed. She briefly wondered who had changed her than decided she was past the point of caring. Her wounds were nothing but a dull ache now and she managed to maneuver herself into a sitting position without crying out.<p>

Then she noticed that Damian sat beside her, staring. Now that her body was no longer screaming with agony she remembered the events that had led up to her embarrassing defeat.

"Damian," she said. Her voice was hoarse so she cleared her throat and tried again. "Damian, there was a woman. Did she…?"

"She didn't make it," Damian said tonelessly. "The bullet hit her femoral artery. She bled out."

Mellie closed her eyes and lie back on the pillows. "You should have saved her first."

"Your wounds were more severe. Common sense dictated you were our first priority."

She said nothing, only clenched her fist and fought against the lump in her throat. Maybe Slade – or her hallucination of him – had been correct. She certainly _wasn't_ made for this lifestyle.

"Stop it," Damian said suddenly.

Mellie opened her eyes and looked at him. "What?"

"You are wallowing in self-pity, you are blaming yourself-"

"Because I didn't do my _job_," Mellie exploded furiously. "I could have saved her, Damian, could have been quicker. She died because-"

"There was nothing you could have done! She was already mostly dead by the time you reached her. The only reason she was able to drag herself so far was because of fear – once the adrenaline wore off her heart ceased working. She was dead before Abuse even found you."

Mellie rubbed the heel of her palm into her eyes. "I just – gah!" One fist slammed into the headboard, shattering it and littering them with wooden splinters.

Damian reached over and picked a shard of wood out of her hair. "Father once told me," he said quietly, plucking out another piece, "that Batman has to know the difference between shooting a bullet and failing to step in front of one."

He continued to clean her hair, like a monkey picking bugs off another's scalp, while she pondered. It didn't ease her guilt by any means but she felt a little better. "So does this mean I can still go on patrol? Bruce won't kick me out for failing?"

Damian snorted. "If Father has not yet ejected the failure that is Timothy Drake, he will not do the same to you for failing your first mission."

And Mellie fell asleep with Damian's hands still combing through her hair.


	4. Chapter 4: The Beginning of the End

****Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective creators. I don't own DC. If I did, Damian would still be alive.****

* * *

><p>Mellie-as-Redwing crouched on a roof alongside Nightwing. Even if Bruce hadn't kicked her out for being a screw up she was clearly still a novice in his eyes. She got it. Dick was her training wheels. All she had to do was prove herself. They'd gotten a tip that the jewelry store across the store was bound to be robbed and were lying in wait for the unsuspecting burglars to appear.<p>

"Jeez, you'd think the petty criminals would give up already," she remarked. "If you and the B-man can handle the likes of the Joker simple burglars don't stand a chance."

"That's just it, Little Wing." He'd given her the nickname because apparently they were 'wing twins!' "The little guys expect Batman to be too busy with Arkham's lunatics to bother with them."

"Stupid." A black van without a license plate peeled around the corner and came to a halt in front of the jewelry store. Six masked figures piled out of the car wielding metal baseball bats. One of them smashed through store's front windows and they all climbed into the building. Apparently the robbers didn't know the meaning of tact.

"Stupid," Nightwing agreed, leaping off the roof. He threw batarangs at the van's front tires as he fell, puncturing them and scaring the piss out of the getaway driver.

Redwing followed his lead and angled her dive towards the store. She landed in a graceful crouch and leapt through the broken window after the burglars, careful to avoid the broken glass. They were still working at the vault when she plowed into the back room.

"Huh?" one of the mooks said. "_Another_ sidekick? Where the hell does Batman find all these kids?"

The blunted side of the kunai on the end of Redwing's rope dart slammed into the side of his head, knocking him unconscious before he could ask another question. That spurred the other bad guys into motion. She felt rather than saw Nightwing enter the room but he held back. A test then.

Three of them ran at her. Redwing ducked beneath the first one's clumsy swing, tripping him as he flew past her and therefore cordially introducing his face to the hard floor. She looped her rope dart around the second man's bat, wrenching it out of his surprised grasp and clubbing them over the head with his own weapon. The last guy found himself alone. He stared at her for a moment before letting out a battle cry and charging. Redwing side stepped at the last second and drove the butt end of the bat into his midriff. The air left the guy's lungs in a loud _whoosh_ as he doubled up. She struck his temple and he joined the growing pile of unconscious bodies on the floor.

The remaining criminals had not been idle. While the entire fight had lasted less than a minute they had managed to open the safe. One of them was frantically looting the goods while the other two stood facing her, bats at the ready.

Before either of them could react Redwing threw a water capsule at their feet. She pulled out her pronged tazer, leapt back, and fired at the small puddle. The two men arched their backs as the electricity ran through them, causing their muscles to spasm uncontrollably. They fell to twitching to the ground. The last mook looked up and realized he was utterly screwed.

"Give up," Redwing ordered him. "There's nowhere for you to run."

The criminal did the last thing she expected and obeyed her. He dropped the sack of jewels and the bat. Redwing blinked but quickly recovered her shock.

"Get down on your knees. Put your hands behind your head."

The man did as he was told. When Redwing moved forward to arrest him he turned away from her so that her body was obscuring him from Nightwing's view as she slapped the cuffs onto his unresisting wrists.

"Your father sends his regards," the man whispered so quietly Redwing thought she had been imagining things. Then he twitched slightly. "Back right pocket."

Pretending to fiddle with the mechanics of the handcuff, Redwing palmed a small envelope out of his pocket and slid it into her belt in one smooth motion. She wrenched him to his feet and dragged him out of the safe, where Nightwing has already bound and gagged the five remaining criminals.

"Try to bind them a little faster next time," he advised her. "They won't all be so cooperative." Redwing nodded. "But besides that, you did well. Very nice work with the tazer."

They left the men unconscious and tied to a lamppost. The police were just rounding the block as they swung away from the scene, too late to do anything useful, no doubt. They patrolled for another hour but it was a quiet night and Batman sent her, Red Robin, and Robin home.

Her protests were half-hearted as the letter weighed on her mind. After she had cleaned up for bed Mellie went into the bathroom, locked the door, and sat on the closed toilet seat. The envelope was small and plain, a little creased from being in the messenger's pocket. She was tempted to throw it away… but if it really was from her father she'd be wise not to ignore him. Her fingers shook as she tore open the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a picture of Jason. His mask was gone and despite the poor lighting she could she he had been beaten within an inch of his life. Standing behind him with a crowbar in hand was Talia Al Ghul.

Mellie turned the picture over. There was no mistaking Slade's crisp, sharp penmanship. _The Red Hood for the Demon Spawn. He dies in two weeks._

She snatched a cigarette lighter she had stolen from Jason back while he had still been a smoker and lit the papers on fire, flushing the ash down the toilet. Her heart beat erratically and she fisted her hands through her dark locks, giving them a harsh tug.

The message had been plain and simple, but hardly descriptive. But Mellie knew her father. If she told Bruce or Dick or Tim he would know, and then Jason would die. No, she had to do this on her own.

"I'm sorry," Mellie whispered to the empty bathroom. "I'm sorry."

She went into the bedroom and emptied her school backpack onto the bed. She tucked her uniform into the very bottom and filled the rest with clean underwear, a spare set of clothing, toothbrush, toothpaste, and hairbrush. She pulled on an ensemble not uncommon to the ones the initiates at the League of Assassins wore.

The sound of her combat boots on carpet was muted in the large manor. She crossed the hallway to Damian's room and went in without knocking. He was sitting up in bed, reading a book thicker than the Bible, and he glanced up with irritation. His expression quickly changed when he saw the way she was dressed.

"I need your help," Mellie said. "It has something to do with my father and the League. You know the organization better than almost anyone."

Damian studied her and for a moment Mellie panicked. If it came to a fight she wasn't sure she could beat him, not without sustaining life-threatening injuries first. Finally he nodded and she let out a breath she didn't realized she'd been holding. "Give me five minutes." And that was it. He asked no questions, didn't want to know where they were going or how long it would take. Mellie didn't believe in God but she sent a thank you up to whoever was up there anyways.

Exactly four minutes and fifty-nine seconds later Damian drove them out of the manor in the cheapest car they could find in Bruce's garage; a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro.

"I left a note," Damian said, "So my father does not worry."

Mellie went still. "What did the note say?"

"That something urgent has come up and that it is crucial he does not investigate."

"Good." Mellie relaxed into the seat but the image of Jason's battered body seemed burned into her mind like a photonegative. Her knuckles tightened reflexively around her seatbelt and even though he was driving, the motion was not lost on Damian.

"I assume you're going to tell me where we are headed," he said.

"Actually I was hoping you'd follow me blindly," she said, half-serious.

"Tt. If this is some kind of joke-"

"No joke," she interrupted him before he could get the wrong idea. "Something _is_ wrong. I need to find the League but I don't know how."

Damian said nothing. For a thirteen-year-old he was a capable driver, steady and focused. Mellie liked the way his brow furrowed when he was thinking or concentrating on something.

"You didn't come back," she said suddenly.

Damian jumped in his seat and turned to look at her out the corner of his eye. Neither of them had brought up the three-year gap until now. "I'm sorry."

"You could've come after me," Mellie said softly. "Nothing was stopping you. Bruce and Dick would have helped." She wasn't one to voice her feelings on a regular basis but once the dam had been broken everything came spilling out. "I tried to escape after they told me you'd… you'd…" she rolled up the hem of her shirt and showed him a puckered scar over her lower ribcage. "Father gave me this when I failed."

Damian's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. He wouldn't look at her. "I looked for you," he finally said. Mellie gawped at him. "I looked everywhere but I couldn't find you."

"Bullshit," she spat. "Your father is the world's greatest detective. If you had gone to the best of your ability-"

"I didn't tell anyone," he interrupted her. "I was afraid of what they'd do to you. At first I was afraid Father and Dick wouldn't accept me because of my upbringing. And then they did and I thought that it was only because I was his son. You are the daughter of my father's enemy and raised by assassins. I now know that it's a ridiculous notion but at ten-" he heaved a loud sigh. "By the time I got over it and located your father you were gone, vanished without a trace. If anyone knows how to avoid my father's equipment it's Jason Todd."

They said nothing for a long time. As they neared the entrance to the city the buildings became rougher and rougher. Damian took a right and the intersection and slammed on the brakes, hard enough to jolt the two teens. Standing in the middle of the road was a small red-haired boy with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

Colin Wilkes had his thumb up like a hitchhiker and was grinning like the Joker. "Mind if I catch a lift?"

Damian rolled down the window and stuck his head outside. "Colin," he growled. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Dick called and said you two were missing. I thought I'd figure out where you two were headed."

"How did you know we'd be going this way?" Mellie rolled down her own window and asked him.

Colin reached into the front of his shirt and pulled out a small blue gem attached to a silver chain. "Damian gave me this tracer after I was kidnapped by Zsaz. It works both ways, by the way."

Damian swore. Clearly he had forgot about it. "Did you tell my father?"

"No. I assumed if you two left in such a hurry it must be important." He folded his arms stubbornly. "And I'm coming with you."

"No you're not," Damian and Mellie said at the exact same time.

"It's dangerous," said Mellie.

"Sister Agnes will notice you're missing," Damian protested.

Colin snorted. "Won't be the first time I've run away, and the police don't care about one missing orphan anyways. Think about how far the two of you will get. You're _thirteen_. There's a lot of things kids can't do without a parent. I could change into Abuse and wear a disguise and pretend to be a grown up."

"No," Damian said shortly.

The redhead crossed his arms. "I'll call Dick and tell him where you are."

Mellie's mind was racing. If her father found out about their friend Jason would be in danger. But true to Colin's word, there really was no way her and Damian could travel the world unsupervised. Surely Slade knew that. And even so Colin didn't pose even a fraction of a threat that Bruce or Dick or Tim would. If it really came down to it, Mellie could easily pretend Colin had gotten himself killed. The thought made her feel downright sick. Colin was such a sweet boy and it was clear Damian liked him.

"No." Mellie shook her head and looked at Damian. "He'll get himself killed."

"Colin is more than capable of handling himself," he replied, without taking his eyes off of the small teenager blocking their car. "And if we don't let him come with us he'll only notify my father."

"Damian," Mellie protested, but her friend's mind was already made up. Damian jerked his head back and Colin grinned, climbing into the seat behind Mellie.

"Let me get one thing clear, Colin," Damian said. "This is not a vacation or a field trip. This is a mission, possibly one of the deadliest you will ever undertake in your life."

"Great," Colin said without missing a beat. "So where are we going?"

"Ask her." Damian pointed at Mellie.

"We're going after the League of Assassins. They… owe me something."

Damian raised an eyebrow while Colin whistled. "It's been three years since I've been with the League," Damian said. "And even then they had a tendency to move around a lot. It might take me a while to locate their latest headquarters." The car started to roll forward again.

"Hurry," said Mellie. "We only have two weeks."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Aaaand the story's finally starting to pick up! Likes and reviews are appreciated ;).<strong>

**For those of you who are curious, I based Redwing's costume on Blue Bird's design but with a few extra tweaks and different colorization. **


	5. Chapter 5: The Escape

****Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective creators. I don't own DC. If I did, Damian would still be alive.****

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><p>If it hadn't been for Colin they would have never found the League.<p>

They had been driving for exactly five minutes when the boy said, "Can we listen to the radio?"

Damian grumbled in annoyance while Mellie giggled and switched on the radio. In the heat of the moment all three teenagers completely forgot that they were in Bruce's car. Instead of music the car's speakers started to broadcast the GPD frequency.

_"…__.Bane had been apprehended Batman. Requesting back up for transportation."_

_"__Roger. What is your position?" _

_"__Grant Park. The highway was damaged during the fight. You'll have to go around…"_

"That's it!" Mellie exclaimed so suddenly both boys jumped. She turned down the radio's volume and pointed excitedly at the dashboard. "Bane used to run with the League, didn't he?"

Damian's brow furrowed. "Yes, but I don't think he's working with them at the moment."

"He should still know where they're hiding."

Damian made a sharp U-turn and headed back towards the city.

"What are we going to do? We can't exactly just waltz into Arkham and request to talk one of their inmates," said Colin.

"Why not?" Mellie grinned at Damian. "He's Robin."

"I doubt any one of us will be able to speak to Bane without alerting my father," said Damian.

"Well what else can we do?" Colin asked. "Break into Arkham?"

The entire car went silence.

"Oh shit."

* * *

><p>"This is a bad idea," Colin said for what felt like the hundredth time in just as many minutes.<p>

"Colin," Mellie said with frustration, "You're a nice kid, but if you don't shut your mouth I'm going to kick you off this bridge."

He shut his mouth.

"Does everyone know the plan?" Damian asked as he rechecked his grappling hook.

"Colin and I create a distraction and stage a false breakout, giving you enough time to get Bane out of his cell. We rendezvous at the docks."

Damian nodded. "Good luck."

He promptly jumped off of the bridge and into the churning waters below. Colin watched until he saw a dark shape start to make its way toward the island.

"You're sure you disabled the motion sensors?" he asked nervously.

"Pretty sure." Mellie flashed him a smile. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

She gave him a two-finger salute and followed Damian into the icy waters. Luckily her suit was insulated and it managed to keep out most of the cold. She was exhausted by the time she reached the shore, her body weighed down by water.

She shook the water from her hair like a dog and jogged up to the outer wall of the prison. She pressed a button on her gauntlets and suction cups emerged from the pads of her fingers. Mellie started to scale the wall and when she was about thirty feet off of the ground she stuck a bundle of standard C-4 to the wall.

The top of the wall was lined with barbed wire and was patrolled by heavily armed guards. Spotlights roved the ground at regular intervals, making it nearly impossible for anyone to hide within the shadows.

It certainly wasn't the most fortified prison she had seen, but it was close. She could see Bruce's hand in the way the security was run. The guards patrolled at irregular intervals, making it harder for anyone to memorize the rotation and there wasn't a nook or cranny the spotlights missed.

Mellie clung just below the wall's ledge and tilted her head. She didn't hear any footsteps. Now was her chance. She launched herself into the air and soared above the barbed wire, landing almost silently on the balls of her feet on top of the wall. The closest pair of guards had their backs turned to her and were more than thirty feet away.

She leapt off of the wall just before the search light touched the spot she had just been standing. Mellie pulled out another bundle of C-4 and secured it to the inside of the outer wall. She nodded once to herself and moved deeper into the Asylum.

* * *

><p>Damian clung to the wall and waited for the signal. Arkham's inhabitants didn't have the luxury of getting a window with their cell but he knew that this particular spot was the outside of Bane's cell.<p>

Suddenly an explosion seemed to rock the entire island. Sirens blared to life and guards started to shout, as the entire prison dissolved into chaos. Damian nodded to himself and pulled out a tube of corrosive gel. He traced an area big enough for both him and Bane to fit through.

There was a hiss as the powerful acid began to chew through the tough stone. Soon, though, the material crumbled away to reveal a large yet filthy cell. Bane was crouched at the far end of the room, staring at the Boy Wonder as he crawled into the chamber.

"We need to talk," Damian said flatly, "and we don't have a lot of time."

"I can see that." The criminal tilted his head and grinned. He looked a lot smaller without the Venom pumping through his veins. "Don't tell me all of this is for me?" he asked, indicating the direction of the explosions. "I doubt your boss will be happy about any of this."

Damian crossed the room and lifted the man by the front of his prison uniform, slamming him against the wall. "Shut your mouth and listen. I need to find the League of Assassins. If you help me I will get you out of here, and reunite you with your precious venom."

The criminal's dark eyes narrowed into slits. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"I broke into Arkham Asylum just so we could be having this conversation," Damian growled.

"True enough. And let me guess. You won't give me my Venom until you can confirm what I've told you is true."

Damian said nothing but his silence spoke volumes.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Good." Damian pulled out a spare pair of suction gloves and tossed them to Bane. "Put these on."

* * *

><p>Mellie shook dust out of her hair as Colin hauled her into the back of Bruce's car. He had accidentally detonated the bombs a few seconds to early, and it had been a near thing.<p>

"Did we get him?" Her communicator had been taken out by the explosion and her ears were still ringing.

"We did. Did you get the Venom?"

Mellie held up a jumble of thick tubes attacked to a flat, circular tank filled with glowing green liquid. Colin cringed at the device and absently rubbed at his enlarged veins. In his Abuse form they were green, just like the Venom. He had never exactly been able to cope with the fact that he looked like a monster and Bane was the human embodiment of what Colin could've turned into if it hadn't been for Damian.

"Hey." He looked up and met Mellie's gaze. "You're not like Bane. At all. You may have Venom running through your veins but you're a good person."

"I know," Colin mumbled, "It's just… It's hard to feel heroic when the people you're trying to save run away screaming the second they see your face."

"Looks aren't everything. And you don't need to look good to kick ass." Mellie paused. "Not that you don't look… good… it's just… uh."

Colin cut her off with a laugh. "It's ok, I know what you were trying to say."

At that moment the car's rear door burst open and Bane went flying into Colin's surprised lap.

"We have to go," Damian growled as he leapt into the passenger's seat. "Now!"

Mellie revved the engine and the car went peeling down the street. The second they reached the main street she slowed, matching the speed of the late night traffic.

"We need somewhere to lay low while we recuperate."

"I have a safe house down by the docks," said Bane. "There will be food and a place to rest."

"Not gonna happen," Colin said.

"Just tell us how to find the League and we'll be out of your hair," Mellie agreed.

Bane curled his lip. "Their most recent headquarters was located twenty kilometers south of Daraa, Syria. It's hard to find and well-guarded."

"Not good enough," Damian growled menacingly. "Tell us everything you know about the League."

Thirty minutes later and Bane found himself standing alone on the side of I-5, his pack of Venom right beside him. He watched as the car full of vigilantes drove away and smirked.

"Fools."

* * *

><p>"That sure does sound like the League," Mellie said as they went cruising down the highway. "Now what?"<p>

"Now, we find a way to get to Syria," Damian replied as if they were discussing the weather.

"How are we supposed to do that, genius?"

"I could buy a private jet."

Mellie and Colin gaped at him.

"B-but don't you think your dad would notice if someone purchased a private jet with his money?" Colin pointed out.

"I have my own account," Damian snapped a little defensively. "And trust me, I have more than enough funds to provide us with proper transportation to Syria."

"There's no way you could buy a private jet on such short notice," Mellie said. "But you're welcome to try."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you bought a private jet on such short notice," Mellie said two hours later from the co-pilot seat of Damian's new vehicle. While the boy in question was a trained actor, nothing would keep the small smirk of victory from tugging up the corners of his mouth.<p>

"I never thought you could be so pessimistic, Melantha."

"I'm not pessimistic, I'm realistic. But considering that we live in a very _surreal_ world I tend to come off as a bit of a pessimist."

"Whatever you say to make yourself sleep at night."

Mellie turned to argue but then she saw the small smile he wore on his face. Instead she reached out and lightly punched him on the arm. "Since when did you get a sense of humor?"

"Dick must be rubbing off on me."

The cockpit went silent as they both processed how he had worded his statement.

"…You knew what I meant."

"'Course I did." Mellie smiled. "Your family's really cool."

"_Tt_," Damian said, but it wasn't necessarily a disagreement. He shrugged without taking his eyes off of the sky. "They could be worse."

"Children of the world's wealthiest man? Hell yeah they could be. Jason used to tell me how much of a pain in the ass the kids he went to school with were." Mellie's fingers automatically went to the broken tracker she wore around her neck.

Damian caught the motion out the corner of his eye. "That's why we're going to find the League, isn't it? To save Jason?"

Mellie gasped. "H-how did you figure it out?"

"_Tt_. I'm not a fool, Melantha." Damian scowled at the windshield. "There are… very few people in your life that mean something to you. Jason was one of them. I knew that he went missing shortly after leaving you at the manor. At first I thought that he had just gone off the grid again, like usual, but then you came to me and…" he shrugged. "I figured it out."

Mellie slumped in her seat and covered her face. To think that she could've successfully traded him for Jason… it was ridiculous, she saw that now. Not only would he have gone unwillingly, but Mellie realized that she didn't _want_ to hand him over to his mother.

Her earliest memories had been of her mother, and when those had faded, there was Damian. He was the only person she could really talk to, growing up with a father like Slade.

They'd been together for barely a week now after three long years but they were already falling back into the familiar pattern they had worked out when they were children. Plus, she liked Bruce, and Dick, and Tim, and Alfred. She liked using her abilities for the greater good. And most of all, she liked working with Damian again.

Mellie took a deep, shuddering breath. "Colin?" she called tentatively into the main body of the jet, "can you come in here please?"

The redhead appeared moments after he was called. "What's up?"

"I have something to confess," she said. "I was contacted by one of my father's henchmen just early this evening. The League captured Jason and ordered me to trade Damian for him."

She peeked at Damian out the corner of her eye. He gave no visible reaction, but Colin was gaping. "That's why I didn't want Colin to come along. I knew only one of us would be returning home but… I don't want either of you to get hurt. I'm sorry."

Mellie waited for them to yell at her, for Colin to turn into Abuse and throw her out of the plane without a parachute. She jumped when she felt a gentle hand rest on top of her thigh and looked into a pair of blue eyes.

"You are not at fault here," he said simply.

Mellie stared at him. "What do you mean?" she exploded. "I was supposed to turn you in! Colin – Colin probably would have been killed!"

"Eh, I'm used to it," Colin said with a cheerful grin.

Mellie resisted the urge to slap him. "That's not _funny_," she yelled. "How can you be joking at a time like this? I was basically leading you to your death!"

Colin's expression sobered immediately. "I agree with Damian, Mellie. I haven't known you for very long but I can see that you're a good person. And if you had really meant to have me killed, you wouldn't have said anything just now."

Damian nodded. "It's been awhile, but we're still friends. We're going to help you save Jason."

"But…" Never in her life had Mellie been so lost for words. "But…"

"You said that already," Colin said teasingly.

Damian glared at his best friend and patted Mellie reassuringly. "Mellie, we forgive you. It's ok. We're going to save Jason and bring him home."

"Home." There it was again, that strange, foreign word. She was starting to like it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of updates, folks. I've been super busy with school. <strong>

**Oh, Colin, my little troll. Mellie and Damian are both so serious that I added Colin to lighten the mood a little. There'll be a lot more action in the next chapter and maybe a little bit of fluff ;). **


	6. Author's Note

I apologize for the lack of updates, but I've been very busy with school. I thank you for your constant diligence.

Also, I would like to note that in the beginning of my story Mellie was described as having grey eyes and auburn hair. However, someone pointed out to me that it would make more sense if Mellie was half-Chinese, so I have gone back and edited my previous descriptions of her.


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